Non-invasive IGBT power loss model identification in two-level voltage source converters

This paper proposes a method for the identification of the electrical and thermal model of low power voltage source converters (VSCs) under nominal operating conditions. The identified model of the insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) and heat-sink thermal resistance can then be used with existing power loss estimation methods. Only steady state measurements are performed on the assembled converter, without the need of a complicated test bench. The method is validated with three two-level three-phase VSCs in two test locations. Estimated power loss with the obtained model using recorded load current and one transistor command signal is compared with calorimetric measurements with good results.

[1]  Rudolf Mecke.  Multilevel NPC inverter for low-voltage applications , 2011, Proceedings of the 2011 14th European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications.

[2]  Xiangning He,et al.  Switching Loss Analysis and Modeling of Power Semiconductor Devices Base on an Automatic Measurement System , 2006, 2006 IEEE International Symposium on Industrial Electronics.

[3]  Gang Chen,et al.  Overview of power loss measurement techniques in power electronics systems , 2002, Conference Record of the 2002 IEEE Industry Applications Conference. 37th IAS Annual Meeting (Cat. No.02CH37344).

[4]  Robert D. Lorenz,et al.  Active thermal control of power electronics modules , 2003 .

[5]  Gonzalo Abad,et al.  Medium Voltage–High Power Converter Topologies Comparison Procedure, for a 6.6 kV Drive Application Using 4.5 kV IGBT Modules , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[6]  S. Munk-Nielsen,et al.  Simulation with ideal switch models combined with measured loss data provides a good estimate of power loss , 2000, Conference Record of the 2000 IEEE Industry Applications Conference. Thirty-Fifth IAS Annual Meeting and World Conference on Industrial Applications of Electrical Energy (Cat. No.00CH37129).

[7]  P. Guglielmi,et al.  A simple method for power loss estimation in PWM inverter-fed motors , 2012, CAS 2012 (International Semiconductor Conference).

[8]  R. Oruganti,et al.  Evaluation of Power Losses in a Boost PFC Unit by Temperature Measurements , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[9]  A. D. Callegaro,et al.  Power semiconductor switching losses experimental characterization system , 2011, XI Brazilian Power Electronics Conference.

[10]  R.W. De Doncker,et al.  Power losses of IGBTs in an inverter prototype for high frequency inductive heating applications , 2001, IECON'01. 27th Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (Cat. No.37243).

[11]  Thierry Meynard,et al.  Use of opposition method in the test of high-power electronic converters , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[12]  P. Krein,et al.  IGBT and Diode Loss Estimation Under Hysteresis Switching , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[13]  B. Cougo,et al.  A non-intrusive method for measuring switching losses of GaN power transistors , 2013, IECON 2013 - 39th Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society.

[14]  Thierry Meynard,et al.  Accurate switching energy estimation of parallel eGaN FETs for modern aircraft applications , 2013, The 1st IEEE Workshop on Wide Bandgap Power Devices and Applications.

[15]  T. Meynard,et al.  High Current Ripple for Power Density and Efficiency Improvement in Wide Bandgap Transistor-Based Buck Converters , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[16]  P. Rodriguez,et al.  Converter Structure-Based Power Loss and Static Thermal Modeling of The Press-Pack IGBT Three-Level ANPC VSC Applied to Multi-MW Wind Turbines , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[17]  P. Rodriguez,et al.  Power Capability Investigation Based on Electrothermal Models of Press-Pack IGBT Three-Level NPC and ANPC VSCs for Multimegawatt Wind Turbines , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[18]  T. Duerbaum,et al.  Power loss measurement based on transient temperature rise , 2012, 2012 Twenty-Seventh Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC).